I visited the cemetery today. It’s always the perfect place to slow down and just be.
The weather was beautiful, with a soft wind moving through the trees, everything calm and peaceful.
If you know me at all, you know how much I love The Vampire Diaries. It’s been my favorite series since it first aired in 2009. One of the first things that drew me in was the opening episode, Elena sitting in a cemetery, writing in her journal. I visit cemeteries and journal often myself, so that moment just felt familiar in a way that stuck with me. Even the mention of Hitchcock stood out in a way that felt perfectly aligned with my taste. Today felt like one of those quiet, calm new beginnings like that first episode did.
After the show ended, I made a quiet promise to myself: one day, I’d collect all the books and read the full series. It took a few years, but I did it. I spent time digging through used bookstores, hunting down copies one by one. There’s something special about finding books that way, like each one has its own little story before it even reaches you. In the end, I only had to buy two brand new; the rest were all discovered treasures.
I read the first book a few years ago and once I carve out more time, I’ll dive back in and binge the entire series. I’ll probably start over from the beginning and read straight through this time, fully immersing myself in the story.
For anyone curious, the original series by L.J. Smith was published between 1991 and 1992:
The Awakening (1991)
The Struggle (1991)
The Fury (1991)
Dark Reunion (1992):
Years later, Smith returned with The Return Trilogy (2009–2011), continuing the story:
Nightfall (2009)
Shadow Souls (2010)
Midnight (2011)
After that, additional books were released with a ghostwriter involved. I actually have three of those already, though I’m still missing the final few. I figure I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
For now, I’m just holding onto today’s quiet moment, the wind, the stillness, and the feeling of being exactly where I needed to be.
